Among the “ten things you need to do” according to Lin-Manuel Miranda and Renée Elise Goldsberry (shown above) in their performance at a pro-Clinton gathering are “register to vote” and “post that Hillary sign on your lawn.” On October 17th, moguls from theatre and entertainment such as Neil Patrick Harris, Sara Bareilles, and Hugh Jackman attended “Broadway for Hillary,” a benefit concert endorsing the Democratic nominee, where they witnessed the former Hamilton costars parodying “The World Was Wide Enough” from Miranda’s musical to match the upcoming election.
Miranda is no stranger to the cause, having been a Clinton follower back in July, and many more in the drama world have followed suit. Practically the entirety of the cast of the award-winning show Hamilton—Goldsberry, Philippa Soo, and Christopher Jackson, for example—has voiced their support and has participated in #Ham4Vote, a PSA where the cast reminds us to cast a ballot next Tuesday. Broadway actor and actress Matthew Broderick and Victoria Clark crooned out their rendition of “Been a Long Day” from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at the October benefit performance. It seems as if an overwhelming majority of Broadway has gone blue as their choice for the 45th President.
Mass media has also branded themselves as being with Clinton in the 2016 Election. Let us not forget John Oliver’s hilarious tearing down of the Republican nominee all the way back in February. Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live posts parody after parody satirizing the absurdity of Trump’s character (played by Alec Baldwin). Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, and Katy Perry have all outwardly endorsed Hillary Clinton for the presidency rather than the bombastic billionaire. Perry had actually participated at a Clinton rally in Des Moines, Iowa on October 24th. Not very many celebrities champion a Republican nomination this time around; Willie Robertson from “Duck Dynasty” and Clint Eastwood appear to be one of the few to fly their red colors with pride.
But it seems as if Broadway and Hollywood aren’t the only groups actively campaigning against Donald Trump. Rap group clipping. released “Fat Fingers” as part of 30 Days, 30 Songs, which as the Washington Post simply puts it, is “a playlist of songs that Donald Trump will hate.” Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M., and Sam Cohen count themselves among the notable artists that have advocated for a “Trump-free America.” With sarcastically titled, yet incriminating songs like “Million Dollar Loan,” “Makin’ It Great Again!” and “Trump is on Your Side,” it’s no surprise that these have garnered traction over the past month leading up to November 8th.
Originally synonymous with wealth in the hip-hop world, “Donald Trump” has recently become more of a social suicide rather than an arrogant allusion. YG and the aforementioned clipping. have condemned the seventy year old politician for his brash nature through their rhymes overlaid with catchy beats. Hip-hop’s biggest stars like Kanye, Jay Z, and Chance the Rapper are in direct support for a Democrat in the Oval Office. However, most of the genre’s political stances appear more rooted in animosity for Donald Trump rather than support for Hillary Clinton, but what can you say? A vote is a vote.
But what does this all mean? For starters, people are impressionable. Many of the aforementioned movements like #Ham4Vote and 30 Days, 30 Songs are mainly directed towards people who would treat November 8th as just another weekday. These prospective voters influenced by Democratic supporters could make all the difference next Tuesday, but only time will tell what they can do. In the end, Clinton could be attributing her presidency to the endorsement of key figures in the public eye. After all, Hillary, it must be nice, it must be nice to have celebrities on your side.
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